A World of His Own Making
by ninewood
Summary: Taking place after Going Home, in a place of darkness, Rumplestiltskin creates a world where he gets his happy ending with Belle and Baelfire, but can he keep it?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I am a villain.

Villains don't get happy endings.

"_What if you could?"_ a familiar voice asked.

"What?" Rumplestiltskin mumbled, opening his eyes. In an act of self-sacrifice, he killed his father, formerly known as Peter Pan, in order to save his family, but ended up floating in an inky blackness.

Where his father was, he didn't know.

All he knew was he was alone and, to his surprise, at peace.

"_What if you could have a happy ending?"_

"I don't deserve one," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"_You don't really believe that."_

He heard a familiar giggling as he opened his eyes and pressed his lips together.

"Go away."

"_You didn't answer me. Do you really believe you don't deserve a happy ending?"_

"Even if I did, it's too late," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"_It's never too late."_

"Yes, it is."

"_No, it isn't."_ the voice said in a sing-song tone.

The giggling echoed in the darkness as a soft grunting sound filled the blackness then a low whirring sound followed by a dull thud and a sharp pain sailed up his right leg, causing him to scream and close his eyes tighter.

"Easy," a familiar voice said softly as fingers brushed back his hair then something warm and wet was pressed against his skin, making him sigh. "That's it. Go back to sleep."

"B-be-belle?" was all he managed to whisper as someone hushed him and gently patted his skin with something soft.

"I'm here," Belle said, but she sounded so far away. He moaned as she hushed him and his skin felt like it was on fire. He felt so tired and uncomfortable, but moving shot a sharp pain up his right leg, making him cry out. "No, don't try to move."

"It hurts."

"I know."

"Hold me," he pleaded when he felt arms wrapping around him as the blackness returned and he felt himself falling into it.

The world flickered in and out as he tried to keep his eyes open then his eyes cleared and he could see blue sky outside the window across the room. He looked at the lace curtains framing the window then at the small, wooden trunk under the window and blinked his eyes a few times. The walls of the room were a light stone with wooden beams in the corners and wooden beams in "x" shapes held up the wooden ceiling. The wooden furniture around the room was plain and he was lying on a wood framed bed with a feather mattress. There were three other windows in the room and he could just see the stone floor.

"Where am….?" he asked as he tried to sit up on his elbows, but pain roared up his right leg and he cried out.

"Rumple!?" a familiar voice called out when the wooden door opened and his heart jumped in his chest as Belle came in the room. She was wearing a light blue dress with a white apron tied around her waist and black slippers. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail by a leather cord and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Belle?" he asked softly as she came to the bed and sat on the edge, gently lowering him onto the mattress.

"Hello," she said with a small smile and he gave her a confused look.

"This is going to sound strange, but where are we?" he asked and she smiled at him, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"This is our home," Belle said then sighed, looking at her lap. "The healer did say you might not remember things due to the fever."

"I don't understand," he said then saw the tears in her eyes. "Please, Belle, don't cry."

"At least you remember me," she said and took his hand in hers. "Do you remember going off to fight in the war?"

"Yes, but that was…," he said as he tried to think, but his memories were jumbled and he closed his eyes tightly. "I remember pieces."

"I was so proud of you when you said you enlisted," she said and he sighed, half opening his eyes.

"I didn't want you to be a wife of a coward," he said softly.

"Well, now I am the wife of a clumsy idiot," she teased with a wide smile and he titled his head to one side. "You really don't remember?"

"No," he said then gave her a relaxed look. "Tell me what happened."

"Maybe it would be better if I told you in a story," she said and he gently squeezed her fingers.

"Alright," he said and she gently moved on the bed to sit closer to him.

"There once was a weaver who wanted to prove to everyone that he was not a coward like his father," she said and a sharp pain pierced his brain, causing him to hiss. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he said with a nod of his head and she gently stroked his hair back from his forehead. "Go on."

"This brave weaver said farewell to his pregnant wife…," she said and he looked at her stomach. He hadn't noticed the bump hidden by the apron and she softly smiled at him. He gently reached out his hand as she placed his hand on the bump and he slowly moved his fingers.

"We're…we're having a baby?"

"Yes," Belle said as he tried to remember, but trying caused pain to shoot through his head and he whimpered. "Hush now. It's alright."

"I don't…," he said as she hushed him and tears rolled slowly down his cheeks.

"You were so funny when I told you. All that screaming and spinning me around," she said, taking his hand and wrapped her fingers around his fingers. "I'm still trying to figure out if it's a boy or a girl."

"It's a boy," he whispered then pressed his lips together, wondering why he was so sure. "What happened to the brave weaver?"

"He went to the camp, but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to fight," she said and he gave her a puzzled look. "He wasn't very strong."

"He was strong enough," he grumbled with a sour look on his face and she nodded her head. He thought of something when he sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Did he…Had he met a seer while he was in the camp?"

"No, there was no seer in the camp."

Something in the back of his mind whispered there had been one and she had told him something that would make him do something that would change his life.

"What did she tell me?" he whispered then saw the look on Belle's face. "Sorry, go on."

"The brave weaver tried his best to be like the other soldiers, but they would tease him and called him "Rumple the Runt"."

"And how did his wife find that out?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"He told her just before the fever took hold of him," she said and he placed her hand on his chest. Belle smiled as she felt the rise and fall of his chest as well as the light thump of his heart and he softly sighed.

"I bet he trained harder than the others just to spite them."

"He did and that is what caused the accident."

"How did it happen?"

"The soldiers were training with battle hammers. They used the battle hammers mostly to open kegs or crates, but the battle hammers were also used to bash in the heads of….," she said when Rumplestiltskin's face went ghost white and his eyes went wide. Memories flooded his mind of him learning that he was going to die in battle and never see his son. In his panic, he had picked up a large hammer and using the hammer on his right leg. He remembered the pain. He remembered screaming. He felt his heart slamming in his chest while he closed his eyes and tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I…I…I broke my leg on purpose!" he sobbed as he felt her lifting him up then sliding behind him. Gently, she wrapped her arms around him and he half turned on his left side, burying his face in her chest. She hushed him while rubbing his back and carefully rocked him back and forth.

"No, you didn't," she said in a calming tone, but he shook his head and sobbed, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Do you want me to tell you what happened?"

"Yes," he squeaked as he gulped in some air and she wiped the tears from his eyes. He felt safe in her arms as she rocked him and kissed the top of his head.

"It had been raining for days. The air was freezing cold and the ground had been turned into a mud pit. The captain didn't care how muddy the ground was or how cold it was and ordered the soldiers to drill using the battle hammers. The brave weaver picked the smallest of the battle hammers, it was the only one he could pick up, and held it tightly in his hands. He followed the others while they trained, but many of the others slipped and slid on the mud. The brave weaver was determined not to fall as he dug his feet in the soft ground and griped the handle of the battle hammer tightly in his hands. Arching the battle hammer high over his head, he went to swing the battle hammer, but lost his footing and the battle hammer soared out of his hands and into the air. He had fallen onto his back and didn't have time to move when the battle hammer sailed down and smashed into his right leg. He did scream, but didn't pass out and the others laughed at him. Determined not to show how much it hurt, he got up and half limped to his tent."

"Did he send for a healer?" Rumplestiltskin asked, looking up at her.

"Not for a few days. The brave weaver kept training and walked by hopping on one foot."

"He must have been in agony."

"He was. No one knew how much until he passed out and was taken to the healer. The captain ordered the healer to bring the brave weaver home and his wife helped the healer take care of her husband. The healer wasn't sure if her husband would die or just lose his leg and she was convinced he was right when the fever took her husband and his leg became infected."

"Did he…did he lose his leg?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he looked down the bed and was glad when he saw two lumps under the blankets.

"He came close," she said, kissing the top of his head. "The healer did say that her husband might lose some memories from the fever and his leg would be lame."

"How…how can he make a living with a lame leg?" he asked, looking at her.

"Well, the healer said it would take some time for the weaver to relearn how to walk and he can use the spinning wheel peddle with his left foot. That is if he's willing to try," she said as she lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes. "Are you?"

The front door opened as Rumplestiltskin held onto the wooden staff in his left hand and leaned slightly to favor his right leg. He worked for months to regain his ability to walk as he looked at the villagers walking by and he tried to get the courage to step out of the doorway. He didn't mind when Belle would softly giggle if he fell and sit on the floor instead of getting up right away, but, if any of the villagers laughed, he would never leave the house again.

"_Coward,"_ a familiar voice said then giggled and he frowned, holding tighter onto the wooden staff. Moving his left foot forward, he carefully stepped out of the doorway and closed the door behind him. He limped down the dirt road as villagers nodded their heads at him and he nodded back. No one seemed angry at him, but a few had pity in their eyes and he held tightly onto the wooden staff. After a few minutes, he headed for the small stone fountain when he sat on the edge of the fountain and placed the wooden staff next to him. He watched the villagers going by when a group of children gathered around him and he titled his head to one side.

"My father says you're a coward," one of the boys said with a smug look on his round face and he gave the boy a blank look.

"Did he?" Rumplestiltskin asked, arching his eyebrows up.

"He says you broke your leg on purpose so you didn't have to go fight," the boy said as he pointed to Rumplestiltskin's right leg and Rumplestiltskin looked at the other children.

"Do any of you want to hear how I did break it?" he asked and the children nodded their head, sitting on the ground. "To start with, I am not a coward and what happened was an accident. You see, rain had fallen for days on end and the ground had turned into sticky, oozing mud."

The children giggled at the sour face he made and he placed his hands on his knees.

"Now, my captain didn't care if we were on solid ground or in mud and wanted us to train."

"You're not strong enough to be a soldier," the same boy said and Rumplestiltskin gave him a look that made the boy shiver.

"Did you train with swords?" a little girl with dark, wavy hair and a round face asked.

"Yes, I did," Rumplestiltskin said with a grin. "I have been told that I am an excellent swordsman."

"Can you use a bow?" one of the other boys asked.

"Yes."

"What about a battle staff?" one of the other boys asked.

"Hmmm, yes, I can use one."

"Can you use a battle hammer?" one of the girls asked.

"Uh," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed, looking at his leg.

"Is that how you hurt your leg?" a little boy with wild brown hair and chocolate brown eyes asked.

"Yes, that's how," Rumplestiltskin said and some of the children giggled. He didn't get mad as he smiled and rolled his eyes. "Now it is true that I don't look very strong, I'm not, and picked the smallest of the battle hammers. So there I was, practicing with the battle hammer, when I slipped on the mud and landed on my back. The battle hammer went sailing out of my hands and into the air then came down so fast that I didn't have time to move. With a thud, it hit my leg and I tried so hard not to pass out. I did scream. The other men laughed at me being so clumsy, but I just got up and went to my tent."

"Did you want to cry when it hit your leg?" one of the girls asked.

"I felt like it."

"I would have cried," one of the boys said and Rumplestliltskin gave him a sad smile.

Belle was worried when Rumplestiltskin didn't return from his walk and she stood in the doorway, looking up and down the dirt road. She knew she should have gone with him, but he insisted he was ready to go out on his own. Sighing, she started to walk down the dirt road when she heard the sound of children laughing and was surprised when Rumplestiltskin coming toward her and he was surrounded by some of the village children. One of the little girls was holding his right hand as he stopped in front of her and looked down at the children.

"Thank you for helping me get home," he said as the children nodded their heads then ran off and he looked at Belle, giving her a smile. "You were coming to find me?"

"Well, you are late for supper," she said as he gave her a hurt look and she placed her arms around his waist. "I'll forgive you just this once."

Smiling, Rumplestiltskin placed the wooden staff against the wall, cupped her face in his hands then kissed her. He didn't care that some of the villagers were watching when he and Belle went forehead to forehead and softly smiled at each other. Handing him the wooden staff, Belle led him inside and the door slowly closed behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Morning sunlight filled the room as a warm breeze swirled the lace curtains in small circles and Rumplestiltskin yawned, rolling onto his back. It had taken him two years before he was able to buy a bigger house just outside the village and one of the things he enjoyed about living there was the long walks that he, Belle and their son, Baelfire, would take on warm summer afternoons. Baelfire understood that his pa-pa had a leg that was poorly and he needed to stop on their walks so he would run ahead, finding interesting leaves or bugs for him to look at. Rumplestiltskin was a bit concerned when his son nearly fell in a stream as he tried to catch a fish and they spent an hour lying on their stomachs, watching the fish swimming by.

There was one thing he did hate. It was traveling so far to deliver the cloth or other orders the villages had sent him, but the best part was coming home to the open arms of his son and the smiling face of his wife.

A small smile moved across his face when he thought about how Baelfire would cover his eyes while sitting on his lap because Rumplestiltskin was kissing Belle, but then demand a kiss from his mama and a cuddle from his pa-pa.

Rubbing his face with his hands, Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes as he looked at the ceiling and placed his hands on his chest. The walls of the room were a light stone with wooden beams in the corners and outlined the walls. The floor was a hard wood and wooden beams held up the wooden ceiling. An iron chandelier hung from an iron chain with candles sitting in holders and he got nervous when Belle had to use the long taper to light the candles. A stone fireplace sat between the two windows to the right of the room and a large wardrobe sat between the two large windows to the left of the room. The furniture was a dark wood and the wooden bed had a large feather mattress. Sighing, he half closed his eyes when the wooden door opened and three year old Baelfire ran in the room, heading for the bed.

"Pa-pa!" he shouted as he climbed onto the wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, jumped into the air and landed on Rumplestiltskin's legs. Even after three years, Rumplestiltskin knew that bumping his right leg into something hurt and a dull pain roared up his leg, making him closed his eyes tightly. Baelfire slowly got off his legs while crawling along the bed and Rumplestiltskin covered his eyes with his hands. He was trying hard not to scream as he slowly lowered his hands and looked at his son. Tears were running down Baelfire's cheeks, making his heart hurt. Rumplestiltskin tilted his head to one side and reached over, stroking the side of Baelfire's head.

"Ouch," he said with a small smile and Baelfire sadly smiled back.

"Sorry, Pa-pa," he said softly and Rumplestiltskin pushed himself up into a sitting position. Holding his arms out, Rumplestiltskin nodded his head and Baelfire move closer to snuggle next to his side.

"What happened?" Belle said while coming in the room and Rumplestiltskin wrapped his arms around their son.

"I hurt Pa-pa," Baelfire said with a pout and pointed to Rumplestiltskin's right leg.

"He jumped on my legs," he said with a small shrug of his shoulder and Belle slightly smiled.

"I'm sure if was an accident," Belle said as she walked to the bed and sat on the edge.

"Yes, it was," Rumplestiltskin said. Snuggling closer, Baelfire placed his head on Rumplestiltskin's chest and Rumplestiltskin kissed the top of his son's head. "In fact, it's not hurting anymore."

"See?" Belle said and Baelfire looked up at Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin nodded his head while widening his eyes as he smiled and Baelfire lightly giggled. "Now I think we should allow Pa-pa to get up. He has delivers to make."

Baelfire carefully got off the bed when he walked to where the wooden staff was leaning against the door of the wardrobe and half dragged the wooden staff to the bed.

"Here, Pa-pa," he said as Rumplestiltskin softly laughed and moved the blankets back. With a small grunt after sitting up, he used the wooden staff to stand up and Baelfire smiled up at him. Patting Baelfire on the top of his head, he limped to the dressing screen and Belle led Baelfire out of the room.

The sun was shining as Rumplestiltskin limped along the dirt road and the wooden staff thumped on the ground. The journey to the village didn't take long, but he did mind walking alone and thought about the day he would take Baelfire with him on deliveries.

His mind drifted back to the time Belle had accompanied him on a delivery while pregnant with Baelfire and he thought she would deliver on the side of road. By the time they reached the village, she was clinging to him and he nearly toppled over. Some of the village women came running and took her to the healer as one of the women led him to a stool. It was only a few minutes before the healer came out and led him into the back room. His heart swelled when he thought how angelic she looked while holding their son and stopped, placing the side of his head on the wooden staff.

"My sweet angel," he whispered then looked up at the clear sky and closed his eyes, feeling the sun on his face. Opening his eyes, he watched the clouds floating overhead then lightly thumped the wooden staff on the dirt road and went on his way.

The sound of horses made him look straight ahead when he stopped and held onto the wooden staff. The horses came closer as he looked at the guards in their armor and helmets and the swords in scabbards and shields hung from the saddles of the horses.

"Stand aside," one of the guards demanded as Rumplestiltskin looked up at him with a defying look on his face and held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"The road is wide enough. Go around me," he said and the guard removed the sword from the scabbard connected to the saddle and pointed the sword at him.

"I should gut you where you stand," the guard said when the captain of the guard touched the guard's arm and looked at Rumplestiltskin.

"What is your name?" the captain of the guard asked and Rumplestiltskin limped closer, looking at him.

"I am Rumplestiltskin," he said with a bow and the captain of the guard's eyes widened.

"Rumple the Runt?" he asked and Rumplestiltskin sighed, rolling his eyes.

"If you have to call me that, then, yes, it's me," he said and the captain of the guard smiled.

"You know this beggar, Sir?" the guard asked.

"He is no beggar. He is a friend," the captain of the guard said then looked at the wooden staff. "How is your leg?"

"It has good days and bad days," Rumplestiltskin said as he looked down at his leg.

"I swear. If that battle hammer had been any larger, you would have lost your leg for sure."

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin sighed, leaning on the wooden staff.

"You were hit by a battle hammer?" one of the guards asked.

"Yes."

"Was it during the war?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin said and looked down shyly. "It was during battle practice. I slipped in the mud and the battle hammer flew into the air. I was lying on my back and didn't have time to move as it crashed down on my leg."

Hearing laughter when he told the story of his accident didn't bother him anymore and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Move around him." the captain of the guard said with a nod of his head to Rumplestiltskin and the horses moved around him. Waving, Rumplestiltskin watched the horses go around the corner then turned and slowly limped down the dirt road.

The village street was crowded as Rumplestiltskin made his way by the villagers and some villagers apologized for bumping into him after seeing the wooden staff. Rumplestiltskin nodded his head as he made his way down the street and the wooden staff clicked on the cobblestone. He had a large bag strapped around his left shoulder as he adjusted the strap and moved by one of the stalls selling caged chickens, ducks and geese and a large pig was tied to a stake embedded in the ground. He knew the pig was large enough to feed his family for a few months, but how he could manage to lead such a large animal home?

"Sir?" a soft voice asked as he saw a female figure in a tattered robe with a hood and the hood covered most of her face. "Please help me."

"What's the matter?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he moved closer and she looked toward the alleyway.

"This way," she said as she headed toward the opening to the alleyway and Rumplestiltskin leaned on the wooden staff. He had heard of thieves hiding out in alleyways as he watched her then she stopped and turned around. "Sir, please, I need help."

"How do I know you will not rob me?" he asked, limping closer and stopped near the opening to the alleyway.

"Sir, please," she said as she held her right hand out and Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened. A brown, human eye was in the palm of her right hand as the eye blinked and Rumplestiltskin backed up.

"You're…You are…," he said as he backed up then tripped over some baskets and landed hard on his bottom.

"Look where you're going!" the basket seller said then looked at what Rumplestiltskin was looking at and gasped. He helped Rumplestiltskin to his feet while calling for help when the woman ran down the alleyway and several villagers ran after her. Shaken, Rumplestiltskin panted while the basket seller helped him sit on a stool then went to get him a cup of water. "Here."

"That was…a seer," Rumplestiltskin said after taking the cup from the basket seller then took a drink of water and the basket seller nodded.

"She didn't touch you, did she?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin said with a shake of his head.

"That's good. I heard that if a seer touches you then you become her slave," the basket seller said and Rumplestiltskin sipped on some water. The basket seller helped him to his feet as Rumplestiltskin held onto the wooden staff and adjusted the strap over his shoulder. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin said as he took two steps when a strong wave of dizziness swept through him and he closed his eyes, falling to the ground.

It was hard to focus after Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes. He watched the world fade in and out then clear and the candlelight flickered from the candle sitting in the pewter candlestick on the windowsill. The outside was dark as the glow from the candlelight cast an eerie light in the room and he turned his head to look at the ceiling. The walls of the room were a light stone with darker stone outlining the walls and the dark wood beams crossed overhead, holding up the stone ceiling. A stone fireplace sat between the windows and the fire softly crackled in his ears. The furniture was a soft wood and he was lying on a dark wood bed with a feather mattress.

"Where am I?" Rumplestiltskin whispered as the wooden door to the left of the room opened and someone walked in the room, making Rumplestiltskin look at them.

"Oh, you're awake," Belle said as she walked to the bed and he blinked his eyes a few times.

"Belle?" he asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair from his eyes. "What are you doing here? Where is here?"

"This is the healer's house and one of the villagers came and got us," she said and leaned closer to kiss his lips.

"Where's Bae?"

"He's sleeping over there," she said softly as she pointed to the small figure sleeping on a cot in the corner of the room. Rumplestiltskin sighed while Belle got up, walked around to the other side of the bed, slid her shoes off and carefully climbed on the bed, snuggling next to him. He wrapped his arms around her as she placed her head on his chest and listened to the soft thumping of his heart.

"Sorry for making you worry," he finally said and she gently stroked his side.

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"I fainted," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I would have fainted, too," she said and he lifted her chin up to look at her.

"Forgive me?" he asked and she smiled at him.

"Always," she said and he kissed her.

"I want to go home," he sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his stomach.

"The healer said we can go home tomorrow, but he wants you to rest for a day or so," Belle said, walking her fingers up his chest and he shivered.

"But I still have deliveries to make."

"Everyone in the village saw what happened and won't mind if you're late," she said then closed her eyes. "Besides, I would be devastated if something happened to you."

He watched her drift off to sleep while stroking her hair then he sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered as he closed his eyes, kissed the top of her head and drifted off to sleep.

The water dripped down the walls of the cave as the seer sat huddled by the fire and rocked back and forth.

The villagers were still hunting her.

She knew it was a mistake, but she had to talk to Rumplestiltskin.

He had to know the truth.

He had to….

The footsteps grew louder as the seer looked up and the hood she wore fell to her shoulders. Her long, black hair was stringy and flat against her head and the stitches that sealed her eyes shut were dark against her pale skin. The footsteps grew closer when she held her hands out and the eyes on the palms of her hands widened.

Standing before her on the other side of the fire was a figure dressed in a long, black cape with the hood pulled up and almost over the figure's face, a black leather waist coat, a black leather vest, a black silk shirt, black leather gloves, tight black leather trousers and black leather boots. The firelight seemed to sparkle on the figure's skin and the seer fell prone on the ground.

"Master, no, please," she begged as she sat up then moved back toward the cave wall. "I know you said not to go near him, but he has the right to know."

The seer's screams echoed into the night then faded when the figure emerged from the cave and looked up at the dark sky. The stars twinkled brightly as the figure's face softened and the figure looked straight ahead.

"No, he doesn't," the figure whispered then walked into the shadows, fading away.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Slow down," Rumplestiltskin said with a laugh in his voice while eight year old Baelfire ran in front of him and Rumplestiltskin held the wooden staff in his hands. Having his son travel with him was enjoyable, but Baelfire sometimes forgot that his father couldn't walk very fast.

"Sorry, Pa-pa," Baelfire said, walking back to him. Belle had been trying to talk Rumplestiltskin into getting a cart and a horse to make deliveries, but he didn't think he could get on and off the cart and he watched Baelfire stop in front of him. "Maybe Mama is right. We need a cart and a horse."

"Don't you start," Rumplestiltskin said with a grin and rolled his eyes. Walking down the dirt road, Rumplestiltskin placed his arm around Baelfire's shoulders and Baelfire placed his arm around Rumplestiltskin's waist. The sound of shouting made them look at each other when they went around the corner and stopped. Two men with arrows sticking out of their chests were lying on the dirt road near a white wood carriage with gold trim and a man held onto the reins of the two white horses. Near the side of the road, four men had swords pointed at a man, his wife and two daughters. The daughters were crying while their mother held them and the man glared at the men.

"Pa-pa, let's go," Baelfire whispered as he tugged on Rumplestiltskin's sleeve, but Rumplestiltskin glared at the men, holding tightly onto the wooden staff.

"We can't just leave them," he said softly, feeling anger slowly boiling inside him.

"We can't fight them either," Baelfire said, looking at the men. Rumplestiltskin took in a deep breath then slowly let it out through his nose and tilted his head to one side.

"We may not have to," he said. Thumping the wooden staff on the ground, he started heading toward the men and Baelfire followed a safe distance behind him.

"For the last time, put down your swords," the man said when the leader of the men placed the tip of the sword against the man's chest and smiled. The leader of the men was tall, muscular and had a long scar rising from his chin to the inner corner of his right eye. All the men were wearing dark tunics under black chest plates, tan trousers and black leather boots. Two of the men had quivers strapped to their backs and the long bows were lying on the side of the road.

"Not until you hand over your gold," the leader said and some of his long, black hair fell into his deep blue eyes.

"We have no gold!" the woman said as she held her daughters to her and the leader sneered at her.

"All you lords and ladies carry gold with you," the leader said then lifted the tip of the sword to the man's throat. "Where is it?"

The man holding the reins watched as Rumplestiltskin came closer then stood in front of him and held onto the wooden staff. The man titled his head to one side when he noticed a shimmering light in Rumplestiltskin's eyes and gasped. Rumplestiltskin limped closer as he looked at the man and grinned.

"Put the reins down and walk away," he said and the man nodded, dropping the reins and headed for the side of the road.

"Hey, where are you going?" one of the men said as he watched his friend walk away and the leader turned to look behind him. The leader yelped when the man he was attacking grabbed his wrist, twisted upward and the sword fell to the ground. Before anyone could move, the man picked up the sword then placed his family behind him and pointed the sword at the men.

"Kill them!" the leader said when he felt someone tap his back and turned around, locking eyes with Rumplestiltskin. An icy wind blew through his soul as he looked into Rumplestiltskin's eyes and a grin spread across Rumplestiltskin's face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rumplestiltskin said in an almost inhuman voice then giggled as he held up a finger and arched his eyebrows up. "In fact, I'd run."

The leader backed away from him when the leader turned to the men and his eyes were wide from fright.

"Run!" the leader said as the men ran and Rumplestiltskin sank to his knees, the wooden staff falling to the ground.

"Pa-pa," Baelfire shouted, running to Rumplestiltskin and knelt down next to him. Rumplestiltskin had his face in his hands as his body shook and Baelfire rubbed his father's back. "Pa-pa, are you alright?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin groaned, holding onto his stomach. His insides were on fire as his stomach rolled and he closed his eyes tightly.

"Has he been injured?" the man asked as he knelt down in front of Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire rubbed the back of his father's neck.

"I don't know," Baelfire said and Rumplestiltskin placed his hand on Baelfire's arm.

"Take me home," Rumplestiltskin whispered and Baelfire nodded, picking up the wooden staff. He helped his father to his feet then handed him the wooden staff and the woman came closer, placing her hand on Rumplestiltskin's arm.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

"I will be once I get home," Rumplestiltskin said, placing his shaking hand on top of hers.

"What is your name?" the man asked.

"My name is…," Rumplestiltskin said, but the imagines in his head caused him close his eyes tightly.

"He is Rumplestiltskin and I am his son, Baelfire," Baelfire said and Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes.

"Yes, that is my name," he whispered and Baelfire took his father's hand.

"Do you live far?" the man asked, looking concerned.

"We live a few miles down the road," Baelfire said, pointing.

"Let us take you home," the man said, but Rumplestiltskin shook his head.

"I want to walk," he said softly.

"You can barely stand," the woman said, patting his arm and he looked at her then at the carriage.

"I don't know if I can get in," he said, pointing to the carriage.

"Let us help you then," the oldest gdaughter said and they slowly led him to the carriage. The youngest daughter opened the door as the woman helped Rumplestiltskin in the carriage and the man climbed up to the driver's seat, sitting down, and Baelfire handed the man the reins. Baelfire climbed up to the driver's seat as he sat next to the man and the carriage headed down the dirt road. Pain roared through him as Rumplestiltskin leaned the side of his head against the wood, closed his eyes then slowly fell into darkness.

Pain was the first thing he noticed as Rumplestiltskin slowly emerged from the darkness and a small whimpered escaped from his lips.

"Easy," Belle whispered as she stroked his hair and he whimpered again. He slowly opened his eyes, but everything was too bright and blurry so he closed his eyes tightly then opened them.

"Belle?" he whispered while she reached over and wrung out a cloth. He noticed that he was in their bedroom and Belle was sitting next to him, but couldn't remember how he got home. Sighing, he watched as she patted his skin with the cloth and he softly smiled at her. She used a soft cloth to dry him when he held her hand to his chest and she felt his chest rising and falling. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"It's been several days," she said and he saw the sadness and a touch of anger in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered then she leaned closer and kissed his lips.

"I don't know what makes me angrier. You facing those men or falling ill afterwards," she said and Rumplestiltskin sighed.

"I couldn't let them hurt those people."

"They could have killed you."

"I don't really remember what I did," he said and frowned.

"Bae said you just walked up to them, said something and they ran off," Belle said and a confused look appeared on his face.

"I don't remember," he said as the wooden door opened and Baelfire came in the room.

"Pa-pa!" he said as he half ran to the bed and Belle helped Rumplestiltskin sit up. He felt a little dizzy when Baelfire sat on the edge of the bed and hugged him. Rumplestiltskin felt the tears running down his neck as he stroked the back of Baelfire's head and rocked him, making him feel dizzier.

"That's enough," Belle said softly as they parted and Rumplestiltskin placed his hands on Baelfire's shoulders, smiling.

"Did Mama tell you what happened?" Baelfire asked.

"She said I walked up to those men, said something and they ran away," Rumplestiltskin said.

"I meant afterwards."

"No," Rumplestiltskin said, shaking his head and he nearly tipped over.

"Careful," Belle said as she held him and Rumplestiltskin placed his head on her shoulder.

"It turns out that man was a lord and he sent us a present to thank you for saving him and his family," Baelfire said with a smile.

"What sort of present?" Rumplestiltskin asked, looking at Belle.

The wooden door opened while Rumplestiltskin stood in the doorway and held the wooden staff tightly in his hand. Three more days passed before he could get out of bed and he looked up at the bright sky. The day was warm as he limped outside and closed the door behind him. Belle watched him come toward her as he softly smiled at her and she held her hand out. Taking her hand, he moved closer then leaned in to kiss her and she slid her arms around his waist.

"Ew," Baelfire said as they parted and scrunched up his face.

"And what is so disgusting about me kissing your mother?" Rumplestiltskin asked, arching his eyebrows up.

"Nothing," Baelfire said as Rumplestiltskin ruffled the top of Baelfire's head then slid his arm around Belle's waist.

"So where is this present?" Rumplestiltskin asked, looking around.

"It's over here," Baelfire said with an excited tone in his voice and took his father's hand. They carefully headed for the side of the house as Rumplesitltskin's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. Next to the house was a wooden stable with a small window at the top to mark where the hay loft was and a split, wooden door was at the center of the stable. Several stacks of hay had been placed by the stable and a pitch fork was leaning against the stable wall. Another wooden building was next to the stable and there was an opening at the front. Several windows wrapped around the building, but the shutters covered the windows and he could just see something inside, hidden in the shadows.

"When was all this built?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"It was while you were sick," Belle said.

"I'm amazed you didn't wake up from all the noise," Baelfire said with a smile. "Do you want to meet Graydon?"

"And who is Graydon?" Rumplestiltskin asked, looking at Belle.

"He's in here," Baelfire said as they slowly headed for the stable and he opened the top of the split door. Looking out at them was a handsome white horse with dark eyes and it twitched its ears side to side. Rumplestiltskin slowly moved closer while the horse watched him and Rumplestiltskin raised his hand. The horse didn't move as Rumplestiltskin gently stroked the horse's nose and Baelfire smiled. "He likes you, Pa-pa."

"He is very handsome," he said then looked at Baelfire. "Have you been taking good care of him?"

"Yes, he's been feeding him and grooms him every day," Belle said, standing next to them.

"I even take him out for walks and clean his stall," Baelfire said.

"So the present is a horse?" Rumplestiltskin asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"No," Baelfire said and took his father's hand. "There's a cart, too!"

The wooden staff thumped on the ground while Rumplestiltskin headed for the other building and stood in the doorway. The air was cooler than outside as he limped toward what was sitting in the shadows and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark. Baelfire ran to the back of the room when he opened the shutters and light streamed into the room. In the center of the room was a cart made of medium brown wood with gold trim and two oil lanterns were one either side of the cart and were connected to the cart by iron rings.

Belle wondered if the lord had crafted the metal work at the correct height as she walked closer and saw the look of wonder in Rumplestiltskin's eyes.

"What is this?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he looked at the lever on the end of the driver's seat and the metal work sticking slightly out of the side of the cart and Belle walked closer, slipping her arm around his waist.

"Pull the lever," she softly said and he reached up to pull the lever down. A soft whirring and grinding sound filled the air as a part of the driver's seat slid out then moved down the metal work and stopped near his knees.

"Sit down, Pa-pa," Baelfire said with excitement in his voice and Rumplestiltskin shrugged, turned and carefully backed up. He had to jump up a bit to sit on the seat then looked at them, holding the wooden staff in his hands.

"Now what?" he asked, giving them a confused look.

"Sit back a little more then pull the lever," Belle said as he slid back in the seat then pulled the lever. His eyes widened as the whirring and grinding sound filled the air and the seat rose upward. The seat slid into place as he looked at Belle and a smile spread across his face. "Come back down."

Pulling the lever, Rumplestiltskin laughed as the seat moved down then stopped and Belle held her hand out. Taking her hand, Rumplestiltskin stood up then placed his arms around her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"This is amazing," he said, looking at the cart.

"Turns out that his lordship has a craftsman who is a genius when it comes to clockwork," Belle said and Baelfire stood next to Rumplestiltskin.

"Can we go for a ride, Pa-pa?" he asked.

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin said then smiled and gently kissed Belle's lips.

The fire crackled as the smoke rose skyward in long tendrils and the horses grazed on the grass near the trees. After the encounter with Rumplestiltskin, the men had gotten their horses and fled into the forest and some of the men were still wondering why their leader had run.

"He must have been a wizard," the leader grumbled as he poked the fire with a stick and the firelight shimmered in his eyes.

"He looked like a beggar to me," one of the men said.

"Maybe….Maybe he was the Dark One," one of the other men said and the leader glared at them.

"Dark One or not, I say we hunt him down and kill him!" the leader growled. Suddenly a cold blast of air blew through their camp as the fire flared and they covered their eyes. After their eyes cleared, the leader looked across the fire and a cold chill moved through his soul. "No."

Standing before the men on the other side of the fire was a figure dressed in a long, black cape with the hood pulled up and almost over the figure's face, a black leather waist coat, a black leather vest, a black silk shirt, black leather gloves, tight black leather trousers and black leather boots. The firelight seemed to sparkle on the figure's skin as the leader stood up and drew his sword out of the scabbard on his back.

"Do you really think you can fight me?" the figure asked.

"Yes," the leader said.

"Are you sure?" the figure asked, locking eyes with him.

"You caught us unawares last time," the leader said then looked at his men. "Kill him!"

The figure watched as the men came closer when the figure waved his hand and the fire flared, blinding the men. The men gasped as the fire gathered around them when the figure walked around the fire then waved his hands and the screams caused the birds to fly out of the trees. Snorting, the figure walked away as the fire died down and the figure vanished into the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The first thing he noticed was he was very ill. Why, he didn't know. Suddenly memories of being attacked filled his head, but he couldn't see who attacked him. All he knew was whoever it was hated him. Breathing hurt as he painfully sighed then moaned and slowly opened his eyes. The second thing he noticed was he was in some sort of room and was lying on a couch. He could hear noises coming from the window, but he didn't have the strength to lift his head to see where he was.

"_Where am I?"_ Rumplestiltskin thought while looking at the ceiling then heard someone walking closer. Looking to his left, he saw a boy with black hair and eyes that looked like Baelfire's eyes walking closer and the boy knelt next to the couch.

"How are you feeling?" the boy asked. He thought he knew the boy's name, but the name quickly flew out of his head.

"I'm been better," he said, trying to joke about how terrible he felt. "Where are…?"

"Emma and Neal left a few minutes ago," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin tried to remember who Emma and Neal were. All he knew was they weren't happy to be around him and he frowned, pressing his lips together.

"So they left you here to make sure I didn't go anywhere," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed. He knew his chest hurt, but what concerned him was his heart didn't seem to be beating correctly and the boy placed his hand on top of his hand.

"I don't mind," the boy said with a small smile and Rumplestiltskin gave him a puzzled look.

"You're not afraid of me?"

"No," the boy said with a shake of his head.

"You should be," Rumplestiltskin said, but wondered why.

"Why?"

"Why?" Rumplestiltskin asked, wide eyed. "You must have read my story in that book of yours."

What book?

"There are several stories about you in the book," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin arched an eyebrow. "Your stories aren't as bad as my mom's."

Who was the boy's mother?

Why did he look a little bit like Baelfire and why did he feel a connection to him?

"Believe me," Rumplestiltskin said then softly coughed. "I'm worse."

"I don't think so," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin gave him a confused look.

"You think you know me that well?" he asked then coughed.

"I know enough. If you were as evil as you think you are then Belle wouldn't have wanted anything to do with you."

How did this boy know Belle?

"You're right," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed, causing him to cough again. The boy held his hand tightly until he stopped coughing then looked at the ceiling.

"I think I better let you rest," the boy said, but Rumplestiltskin kept hold of his hand and shook his head.

"No," he said then sighed. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," the boy said and Rumplestiltskin saw the tears in the boy's eyes.

"Henry…," Rumplestiltskin said then stopped.

Henry.

The boy's name was Henry and he was Baelfire's son.

Memories of Henry filled his head as he blinked his eyes a few times and gently squeezed Henry's fingers.

"This is my fault!" Henry shouted as he let go of his hand then stood up and Rumplestiltskin looked at him.

"No, it isn't!" Rumplestiltskin shouted then coughed again. Henry knelt back down as he took Rumplestiltskin's hand and Rumplestiltskin wrapped his fingers around Henry's fingers. It took a few seconds to stop coughing as he looked at Henry and gave him a stern look. "Now you listen to me. None of this is your fault."

"If I hadn't brought Emma to Storybrooke…"

Rumplestiltskin tried hard to remember Storybrooke as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"If you hadn't brought her then I wouldn't have found my son."

Memories of what happened to Baelfire filled his head as he closed his eyes tightly and tried hard not to cry.

Baelfire was Neal. He promised to go somewhere with him, but changed his mind and Baelfire vanished inside a portal. He spent years trying to find his son and it was Henry and Emma who helped him reunited with him. Emma was Henry's mother, but why did he see a woman with black hair and why did he dislike her?

"But you got hurt," Henry sighed and Rumplestiltskin frowned.

"My getting hurt has nothing to do with you. It had to do with my history with Hook."

Who was Hook and why did thinking about him make him angry?

"Is that why he hurt Belle?" Henry asked and Rumplestiltskin's heart jumped in his chest.

Hook had hurt Belle?

Memories of Hook roared through his mind as he closed his eyes tightly and moaned.

Hook had shot Belle and Belle forgot who she was after falling into Rumple's arms and the anger boiled inside him.

"Yes," he hissed and Henry sadly smiled at him. There was wisdom and compassion in Henry's eyes and Rumplestiltskin gave him a puzzled look. "What's so funny?"

"I was thinking that I don't just have one grandfather, but two."

"Not for long," he sighed and Henry gently squeezed his fingers.

"Don't talk like that."

"It's alright. I've known for a long time that I'm not going to have a happy ending like your grandparents."

Who were his grandparents?

They must be Emma's parents and he tried to remember who they were.

"Yes, you will," Henry said and Rumplestiltskin was shocked when Henry gently placed his head on Rumplestiltskin's chest and held onto his shoulder. Not knowing what to do, he gently stroked Henry's hair and Henry looked at him.

Rumplestiltskin swallowed when he smiled then Henry stood up and went into the other room while Rumplestiltskin sighed, closing his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Belle asked while her fingers stroked his side and Rumplestiltskin sighed, enjoying the feeling of her fingers on his skin.

"I think so," he said softly then yawned and opened his eyes. Her head was resting at the center of his chest as he reached up and stroked her hair. Over the last ten years, she got used to sleeping to his left so she wouldn't knock his right leg and he looked at the ceiling. "I had the oddest dream."

"What was it about?" she asked while carefully climbing on top of him and supported herself on her elbows.

"I was in this room, but was very ill. I don't know why. There was this boy in the room and he had Baelfire's eyes. It turns out that he was my grandson."

"Interesting," Belle said with a small smile. "What was his name?"

"His name was Henry and he was very upset, blaming himself for me being sick as well as other things. We talked and he mentioned that someone named Hook had hurt you."

"Why?" Belle asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I think he wanted revenge for something I did," Rumplestiltskin said then shrugged his shoulders. "The one thing that surprised me was how much I loved him yet I didn't. It was like a part of me wanted to hurt him. Why would I want to hurt my grandson?"

"I don't know," Belle said then frowned. "Maybe you were seeing the future."

"If I was then I don't think I'll enjoy it. I felt like I was dying," he said then sighed and Belle carefully moved closer to kiss his lips. He held her head in his hands then moved back, placing his forehead against hers. "I think we better get up. We have a long trip ahead of us."

"You're right," she said then gently got off of him then got up and walked to the wooden door. She smiled at him then opened the door and he watched her leave the room. Looking at the ceiling, Rumplestiltskin placed his hands behind his head and images of Henry floated in his mind. He wasn't sure why, but a part of him wondered where Henry was as he sighed, moved the bedding back and sat up. The wooden staff was near the night table as he picked the wooden staff up, stood and limped to the dressing screen.

Being invited to the Royal Festival was an honor as Graydon and a tan mare, Clover, pulled the cart and Rumplestiltskin held the reins tightly in his hands. It didn't take long for him to learn how to control the horses and the clockwork for his seat only broke down three times.

"Look, Pa-pa," ten year old Baelfire said as he pointed to the long line of carriages and carts and the royal guard was on the road to help keep things moving. Several of the guards looked frustrated as some people leaned out of the windows of the carriages and argued with them.

The captain of the guard sat on his white horse as he watched his men when he saw Rumplestiltskin and moved the horse toward his cart.

"Good afternoon," the captain of the guard said with a nod of his head.

"Good afternoon," Rumplestiltskin said.

"So the story is true," the captain of the guard said, looking at the cart. "You saved Lord Maxwell and his family."

"Well, I didn't think it was right to just leave them."

"Guess Rumple the Runt is a fighter after all," the captain of the guard teased and Baelfire glared at him. Rumplestiltskin glanced at Baelfire then shook his head and smiled at the captain of the guard.

"I guess so," Rumplestiltskin said then looked at the line. "It looks like your men are having trouble."

"Yes," the captain of the guard said. "Either they're complaining about the wait or being having to share space with the lower class or where their tents are or…"

The captain of the guard sighed as he rolled his eyes and Rumplestiltskin had to nudge Baelfire to prevent him from laughing. One of the guards rode closer when he whispered in the captain's ear and he nodded, looking at Rumplestiltskin.

"I have to go," he said then waved goodbye and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head. A short time later they were led to the red and gold tent and Rumplestiltskin was surprised how close to the main area the tent was. Several of the high powered merchants glared at them, but turned away after Rumplestiltskin gave them a look which made them shiver and he held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

People passed by as the sounds of merchants talking or shouting out their wares filled the air while Rumplestiltskin sat on the wooden stool and had his hands on his knees. Baelfire had gone off with some of the children to watch some acrobats, but Rumplestiltskin worried about him and sighed, brushing some hair out of his eyes. Belle was chatting with some women when the sounds of horns filled the air and armed guards appeared.

He watched the tall woman in a dark blue gown with silver trim, dark blue slippers and a silver cape lead a small girl, she looked to be around five or six years old, by the tents and could just hear her arguing with the merchants. The small girl was wearing a white gown with puffy sleeves, white shoes and a gold headband and she looked like she was about to cry. The woman seemed angry as they moved closer and Rumplestiltskin noticed a guard stood near the tents they had visited.

"Wonder what that's all about," he whispered then picked up the wooden staff and carefully stood up. Limping to Belle, she smiled at him as he stood next to her and they watched the guards, woman and small girl coming toward their tent.

"One of the women told me that the little girl is the princess," Belle said while pointing with her chin toward them and Rumplestiltskin had a blank look on his face. He had heard the rumors of the royal family being at the festival, but the sadness on the small girl's face made his heart hurt. The woman led the small girl closer as the small girl looked at the baskets and pressed her lips together. The woman leered at Rumplestiltskin and Belle while the small girl moved along the table when she picked up a small basket and smiled.

"I like this one," the small girl said and Rumplestiltskin placed his hands on the table, smiling at her.

"Ah, now that is the prefect thing for a little lady to hide her secrets," he said and she shyly smiled.

"I thought I'd put my sewing threads in it."

"Well," he said with his hand out and she handed him the basket. It was a small basket with two handles on the sides and little crystals were woven around the basket. The lid had blue ribbons weaved into it and a blue crystal was woven into the center. The woman glared at him as he looked from her to the small girl and opened the lid. Inside were little compartments and a cloth was stitched onto the lid. "That is exactly what it's for, but…"

The small girl watched as he removed the little compartments and she saw they were on a small piece of wood. An empty space was under the wood and he smiled, gently wiggling the basket.

"It has a hiding place," the small girl squealed and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head, placing the small piece of wood back and closed the lid. As he went to hand the basket back to her, Rumplestiltskin saw the sadness in her eyes and frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked and the woman leered at him.

"She has forgotten her money," the woman said in a cold tone and looked down her nose at him. Rumplestiltskin now understood why the guards were standing near the other tents as he looked at the small girl and she held the basket to her chest.

"I see," he said then pressed his lips together. "Do you promise to take care of that basket?"

"Yes, Sir," the small girl said, nodding her head.

"Off you go then, Dearie," he said and the small girl's eyes widened.

"You mean I can have it?"

"Yes," he said with a smile and the small girl smiled back. A slight smile appeared on the woman's face as they walked away and Belle slid her arms around Rumplestiltskin's waist.

"That was so sweet," Belle said while Rumplestiltskin watched the woman and small girl go around the tent then look her in the eyes.

"I couldn't stand the sad look in her eyes."

"So, if we would have had a daughter instead of a son, all she had to do is give you sad eyes and you'd do whatever she wanted?"

"Well, considering her mother makes my heart melt when she gives me sad eyes then, yes," he said and she gently swatted his chest. Moving closer, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. He didn't care about the other merchants glaring at him as he looked deeply into Belle's eyes and softly laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Music filled the air while Rumplestiltskin limped by the people and held the wooden staff in his right hand. After the princess and her governess had visited their tent, business increased and they had sold out of their wares within a few hours. Belle had taken some money to go visit the other tents and Baelfire had insisted in joining her. Rumplestiltskin noticed the looks some of the merchants were giving him, but he knew it was from most of the others being removed by force after how they treated the princess.

"Idiots," he sighed then looked up and felt the sunlight caressing his skin. The day was warm and clear and he thumped the wooden staff on the ground. He headed by the tents when he heard the sounds of fighting and limped a little faster. He saw men standing by a fenced off area and they were cheering and waving their fists in the air. He found a spot near the fence when he saw the captain of the guard fighting with one of his men and their sword smashed together. He could tell by the swords that they were using practice swords and he smiled, leaning on the fence.

The swords smashed and crashed against each other as the men fought and laughter echoed through the air. The captain of the guard swung the sword then kicked the legs out of the man he was fighting and the man fell with a low thud to the ground. The captain of the guard pointed the sword at the man's chest then smiled and the man smiled up at him. Hold his hand out, the captain of the guards helped his friend up and patted him on the shoulder.

"Right," the captain of the guard said as he looked at the other men and held his hand up. "Who wants to go next?"

The men looked at each other as they whispered their choices when one of the men saw Rumplestiltskin leaning on the fence and frowned. Two of his friends had been forced to leave after Rumplestiltskin had given the princess the basket and the man growled low in his throat.

"What about him?" the man shouted while pointing at Rumplestiltskin and the captain of the guard looked at him.

"Come on, he's a cripple!" the man's friend said and the other men laughed. The captain of the guard walked to the fence as Rumplestiltskin stood up and held onto the wooden staff.

"What do you say, Rumple? Care to show them what my second best swordsman can do?" he asked and Rumplestiltskin titled his head to one side. He knew that he couldn't balance very well without his wooden staff, and it had been a long time since he held a sword in his hand, but he stood full height and held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"He won't do it!" one of the men shouted.

"Coward!" another man shouted and Rumplestiltskin's chest grew tight. With a snort, he limped to the gate as the captain of the guard held the gate open and watched Rumplestiltskin move by him. Limping to the stand where the practice swords were stored, Rumplestiltskin looked the swords over then removed one from the stand and headed for the center of the paddock. The ground was dry and solid as he let go of the wooden staff, which landed to the ground with a low thud, and stood on the ball of his right foot.

"Well?" he asked while looking at the captain of the guard and held the handle of the sword tightly in his right hand. The men looked stunned as the captain of the guard walked to him and gave him a blank look.

"You don't have to do this," the captain of the guard whispered.

"Yes, I do," Rumplestiltskin whispered and the captain of the guard nodded his head. Moving back, the captain of the guard held his sword up in salute and the men laughed as Rumplestiltskin wobbled a bit as he held up the sword, saluting him back. At the count of three, they swung the swords and Rumplestiltskin used his left leg as balance. He watched the captain of the guard while they fought then he smiled and jumped out of the way of a large swing of the captain of the guard's sword. He swung the sword then hopped out of the way and the captain of the guard growled, wiping the sweat out his eyes with his arm.

"Are you a man or a rabbit?!" he shouted and Rumplestiltskin laughed.

"My dear captain, in the last ten years, the one thing I learned is I'm good at hopping on one foot," he said then made a little giggle and swung the sword. The captain of the guard laughed as he blocked Rumplestiltskin and the men cheered. The swords clashed and smashed as they fought when Rumplestiltskin remembered one thing from his training and that it was bad form to beat the captain of the guard in combat practice. He didn't want him to lose too easily as they fought when the captain of the guard bumped hard into his stomach and lower chest and Rumplestiltskin lost his balance, falling to the ground with a grunt. He looked up at the sword pointed at his chest then at his friend and smiled.

"Kill him!" the man who suggested the captain of the guard fight Rumplestiltskin shouted and the captain of the guard looked at the man.

"Pardon?" the captain of the guard asked, arching his eyebrows up.

"Kill him!" the man shouted and the other men looked at him.

"And why should I do that?" the captain of the guard asked as he helped Rumplestiltskin to his feet and handed him the wooden staff.

"He has no right being here! He is nothing more than a beggar!"

"He was invited just like the rest of you."

"So that gives him the right to speak to the princess?"

"She came to my tent like everyone else," Rumplestiltskin said, holding the wooden staff in his hands.

"But she didn't have any money!"

"So I was supposed to send her away?" Rumplestiltskin asked then sighed. "That would have been rude."

"If they can't pay then there is no sale!"

"But aren't we supposed to honor our king and his family?" Rumplestiltskin asked, looking at the others. The men looked at each other then looked down and Rumplestiltskin pressed his lips together. "I guess not."

"Come," the captain of the guard said as they headed for the gate and he opened the gate. Rumplestiltskin moved by him as he looked at the men and titled his head to one side.

"Cowards," he said then limped away and the captain of the guard smiled, watching him go around the side of the tents.

"Ow," Rumplestiltskin grumbled as Belle tied the ends of the bandages which were wrapped around his stomach and lower chest and she ruffled his hair. The captain of the guard sent over some bandages and ointment after Rumplestiltskin had come back to their tent and told her and Baelfire what happened. They had returned to the inn where they were staying for the festival and she helped him to lie back against the pillows.

"Well, this is what happens when you get into a fight," she said then snuggled on the bed next to him and placed her hand on his chest.

"It wasn't as my idea. I had to," he said with a pout and Baelfire sat at the foot of the bed, looking at them.

"Then why did you fight him, Pa-pa?" he asked and Rumplestiltskin sighed, placing his hand on top of Belle's hand.

"I guess I didn't like the idea of people thinking I'm a coward."

"I never thought that," Belle said and he smiled at her. She brushed the hair out of his eyes then he kissed the tip of her nose and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"Me neither," Baelfire said and Rumplestiltskin looked at the ceiling.

"I know that I'm not," he said and half closed his eyes. "See, my father was never a brave man. In fact, he thought it was best to con people to get what he wanted instead of working or fighting. If he was caught cheating, he would back down and give the money back or run. One time he ran off and…left me behind."

"What about your mama?"

"She…she died shortly after I was born," Rumplestiltskin sighed and Belle looked at him with sadness in her eyes. She knew he never liked talking about his parents, but this was heartbreaking and she carefully snuggled closer.

"So that's why they think him a coward?" she asked and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.

"You would never do that, right, Pa-pa?" Baelfire asked and he looked at his son. The memories of what happened to Baelfire filled his head as he closed his eyes and tears trickled out of the corners of his eyes.

"No," Rumplestiltskin said then opened his eyes. "I would never do that."

The bed was big enough for Baelfire to snuggle on the other side of him as Rumplestiltskin held his family in his arms and looked at the ceiling, blinking the tears out of his eyes.

The sky was a dark gray and the cold wind whipped through him as Rumplestiltskin limped by the tents and many of the merchants were closing up for the day. Rain started falling in sheets as he limped faster and the wooden staff splashed in the puddles. He had gotten turned around while trying to find his tent when he saw a black tent with red flags a few feet in front of him and he stopped, looking at the tent.

"Where did that come from?" he asked. He knew there hadn't been a tent there before as he slowly moved closer and the raindrops rolled down his face and into his eyes. All the nerves in his body screamed for him to run as he stood at the front of the tent and the cold wind caused ripples in the canvas of the tent. The sounds of bells caught his attention then the flap of the tent made him back up and held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"Enter," a woman's voice said as he stood there and the cold wind blew through his hair. Rumplestiltskin slowly moved closer when he looked into the gloom of the tent and his heart slammed hard and fast in his chest.

"I don't think so," he said then backed up.

"I need to speak with you, Rumplestiltskin," she said and his eyes widened. Before he could move, long shadow hands grabbed hold of him and pulled him into the tent. The wooden staff hit the ground as the tent flap closed and raindrops puddled around the wooden staff.

Rumplestiltskin felt his feet touch the ground, but the shadow hands didn't let him go and he felt anger boiling in his chest.

"Let me go!" he demanded as he tried to see in the blackness surrounding him and balled his hands into fists. Suddenly he was surrounded by a red light, but couldn't really see the interior of the tent and something moved in the shadows.

"No, I do not think that would be wise," the woman's voice said as he frownedand heard the sound of movement behind him.

"I promise I won't run."

"You couldn't run anyway," she said and he felt cold fingers skimming over his right leg.

"Don't do that."

"There is nothing you can do to stop me," she said and he felt cold finger moving up his back and touched the back of his neck.

"What do you want?" he asked when something moved in front of him and he felt cold fingers moving along his shoulders then down his arms.

"I want you to remember," the woman said and he frowned.

"You want me to remember?" he asked and scrunched up his nose.

"You need to remember who you are," she whispered in his ear and he jerked his head away.

"I know who I am."

"I am talking about the true you," the woman whispered in his ear. "The one you hid inside you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said as he tried to get free of the shadow hands and nearly fell to his knees.

"It is fruitless to struggle," the woman said as he yelped after she pulled his hair until his head snapped back and he closed his eyes. "I have need of you, Dark One."

Rumplestiltskin had heard of the Dark One, but didn't understand why she thought he was the Dark One and his eyes opened, barely glowing in a golden light.

"I am not the Dark One!" he shouted when he broke free of the shadow hands and fell to his knees. He held himself up with his arms as he felt someone pulling his head back by his hair and he screamed.

"Yes, you are. You have just hidden him so deep inside you that you've forgotten," the female voice hissed in his ear and Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes, his head snapping forward when she let go.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted and slid onto what felt like solid ground. "Please."

The darkness crept into his mind as he moaned and the last thing he felt as he rolled onto his left side was something wet falling onto his face.

"Rumple?!" cried a familiar voice, but he felt too scared to answer.

"Pa-pa?!" called out another familiar voice, but he just wanted to lie there, unmoving and let the rain wash over him. He knew it was raining and wrapped his arms around his body.

"Leave me alone," he whispered as the sound of footsteps coming closer echoed in his ears and he tried to pull his legs up.

"Here he is!" someone called out as the blackness surrounded him and he felt himself falling into it.

"_I have need of you, Dark One."_

Those words echoed in the darkness as Rumplestiltskin tried to figure out why she thought he was the Dark One, but no answer came except a low growl.

Could he being the Dark One explain the odd dreams he had or why he was able to get those robbers to run?

If he was that powerful then why was he, Belle and Baelfire living the way they were living?

With that sort of power, they would be living in a castle instead of a small house.

They would have servants.

They would want for nothing.

They would…

"No," Rumplestitlskin mumbled as he tried to curl his body into a ball, but his right leg wouldn't obey him and he whimpered.

"Hush now," came a familiar voice and he opened his eyes then looked up to see Belle holding him. He looked around and saw they were in their room at the inn and felt her kissing the top of his head.

"How?" he asked and she gently rubbed his back.

"When you didn't come back to the tent, we found the captain of the guard then went searching for you."

"Where did you find me?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"You were lying in the mud near the livestock tents."

"Was there…Was there a black tent nearby?" he asked, opening his eyes and looked at her.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Why?"

With a shuttering sigh, he told her what happened while she rocked him and she stroked his hair.

"Are you sure you weren't attacked? There were deep scratches on the back of your head and you have bruises," she said as she rolled his nightshirt up and he saw the bruises on his arm.

"I don't know," he said as tears rolled down his face and she hushed him.

"Well, the best thing for you to do is forget it," she said and he sniffed, nodding his head. She gently rocked him as he held onto her, but the words echoed in his mind and a cold wind blew through his soul.

Days passed as Rumplestiltskin rested and felt sad for missing out on the rest of the festival. Belle was surprised when a royal messenger came with a note from the king asking if Rumplestiltskin was well enough to come to the royal tent to speak with him. He, Belle and Baelfire arrived the next day and the king thanked Rumplestiltskin for being nice to his daughter.

"It was my pleasure, Your Highness," Rumplestiltskin said and the princess smiled at him. Later on she showed him the glass beads her mother had bought her and told him she was going to make a necklace out of them.

A few days after they had returned home, a royal messenger arrived and gave Belle a package for Rumplestitlskin. They had told the king which village they lived in and she headed for the wooden door, going in the bedroom. Rumplestiltskin still felt poorly and was told to stay in bed for a while as Belle walked to the bed and kissed the top of his head. She wasn't sure if she should wake him as he sighed and slowly opened his eyes.

"Hello," Belle said as he carefully sat up and placed the pillows behind him.

"Hello," he said and looked at the package. "Is that for me?"

"Yes," she said and handed him the package. He opened the wrapper when he saw a wooden box with his name etched on a gold nameplate and he opened the lid of the wooden box. Smiling, he took out a necklace made of glass beads and a piece of paper. Opening the piece of paper, he smiled at the child's handwriting.

_Dear Mister Rumple,_

_I hope you like the necklace. I am taking good care of the basket like I promised._

_Loves and hugs,_

"Aw, that is so sweet," Belle said and Rumplestiltskin nodded, placing the necklace around his neck and held the wooden box to his chest.

The rain fell as the wind whipped through the canvas of the black tent and thunder rumbled in the sky. The sounds of boots splashing through puddles filled the darkness when lightning flashed and standing in front of the black tent was a figure dressed in a long, black cape with the hood pulled up and almost over the figure's face, a black leather waist coat, a black leather vest, a black silk shirt, black leather gloves, tight black leather trousers and black leather boots. The flap of the tent opened as the figure looked into the darkness and heard gasping.

"What are you doing here?" a female voice asked.

"I warned you. No one was to contact him," the figure growled and laughter echoed in the darkness.

"You have no power over me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and I will have the power of the Dark One," the female voice said when the thunder roared and the figure moved back. The figure walked away when the black tent exploded in a fireball and an inhuman scream filled the air. A smile crossed the figure's face as the figure headed into the shadows and slowly disappeared.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The warm sunlight woke him as Rumplestiltskin sighed and rolled onto his back. Since being attacked by the mystery woman in the black tent, he had nightmares or odd dreams and would wake up in a cold sweat. Belle would also wake and held him until he calmed down, but he wondered why what he saw felt so familiar.

He had seen a woman he knew was his wife, but it wasn't Belle.

This woman hated him and called him a coward.

She had given birth to Baelfire instead of Belle and she had left them.

To make things worse, she left him for Hook.

He had been so angry with them that he had not only killed the woman, but cut Hook's hand off.

He had seen things he had done with Cora and thought she loved him as well.

She didn't.

He finally figured out who Henry's mother was.

She wasn't really Henry's mother.

That was Emma.

No, Regina was more than his mother.

_She was the Queen!_

He had seen how he had met Belle and everything they did together.

She loved him even though he was a monster and a beast.

Then she kissed him.

He enjoyed the kiss until he realized what was happening.

He wasn't angry at Belle as much as he was scared and he had sent her away.

He remembered Regina telling him that Belle was dead, but she wasn't.

Regina had her and it took a very long time until Belle was his again.

All that he had done was now engraved in his mind, heart and soul, but there was one thing that he didn't know.

"_Where are you, Pa-pa?"_

Sighing, he opened his eyes then looked over to his left and saw Belle sleeping next to him. His heart swelled at the sight of her as he carefully slid onto his left side and placed his head in his hand. He watched her sleep when he reached over and brushed some hair out of her face, making her sigh and wiggle on the bed a bit. He did feel sad that they never tried to have more children after Baelfire was born, but he wasn't sure if he could handle more children running around. Now he wondered if they should have tried harder and sighed.

A war had broken out with the ogres and men had been called up to fight. Rumplestiltskin knew he wouldn't be called due to his leg, but he had gone to a local camp to watch the men train. Some of the men would call him closer and inquire if he was there to fight, but none of them made remarks of cowardice if he told them no. They knew why and the captain gave him orders for blankets for the men.

As the war progressed, the king had declared that children, mostly boys, were going to be gathered and trained and Rumplestiltskin had sat in at meetings in the village. Heated debates and plans for hiding their children were most of the conversations at the meetings and he wondered what he and Belle would do if soldiers came for Baelfire. He knew that it was his duty to turn Baelfire over to the soldiers, but his heart clutched in his chest at the idea of losing his son and he frowned, half closing his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Belle asked when he opened his eyes and she brushed the hair behind his ear.

"I was just thinking about what we'd do if they came for Bae," he sighed and Belle moved closer, kissing his lips.

"I think we'd have to let him go," she sighed and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.

"I wish there was another alternative."

"Is there another meeting tonight?"

"Yes," he sighed and lowered his head. "I don't understand why they keep arguing."

"They want to protect the children."

"And I don't?!" he asked with anger in his eyes.

"Yes, you do," she said, stroking his cheek.

"Sorry," he whispered and she sadly smiled.

"Is there something else worrying you? Have the dreams returned?"

"Not really. I did have a really nice dream the other day."

"Care you share it?" she asked with a hint of a smile and he thought for a few moments.

"We were in this large room. I think it was a dining hall. I was at my spinning wheel and you asked me why I spin so much."

"What was your answer?"

"I said I did it to forget. You asked me what I was trying to forget. I thought for a few second then I said "I guess it worked" and giggled."

"You have told me that spinning does help you think," she said and he smiled.

"The odd bit was, in the dream, you were on a ladder."

"What was I doing?"

"That's what I asked. I got up and walked to you and you were taking down the thick curtains from the window. You were frustrated and asked if I had nailed them down. I told you yes and you kept yanking on the curtains. I watched you when suddenly you lost your footing as the curtains came free and you fell off the ladder."

"Did you catch me?"

"Yes," he said and kissed the tip of her nose. "I looked from the torn curtains to the ladder to you and idea of you getting hurt scared me. I'm not sure how I looked, but you just smiled then thanked me. I put you on your feet and you thanked me again. The strange bit was I felt so…shy."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It felt like it was a long time since I felt anything and didn't know what to do," he said and Belle kissed his lips.

"I remember how shy you were when we first met."

"I really did like having you in my arms," he said while a blush moved across his cheeks. "You did say you wanted to put the curtains back up, but I said there was no need and I'd get used to it."

"Then what happened?"

"I…I walked away. It was like I was trying to figure out what just happened and why I was feeling so…happy."

Belle smiled when a knock was heard on the wooden door and they looked at each other.

"Pa-pa, are you awake?" Baelfire's voice asked.

"Yes, I'm awake," Rumplestiltskin said and the wooden door opened. Eleven year old Baelfire walked to the foot of the bed as they looked at him and Belle watched Rumplestiltskin sit up. "Is there something wrong?"

"I hear horses," Baelfire said as Rumplestiltskin moved the covers back and Baelfire went to the wardrobe, picking up the wooden stick. With a soft grunt, Rumplestiltskin stood up then took the wooden staff from his son and headed for the dressing screen.

Several horses approached the house as the captain of the guard sat on his white horse and sighed. His heart clutched in his chest as he thought of demanding Rumplestiltskin to turn over Baelfire and he watched as the door opened. Rumplestiltskin limped out as he held the wooden staff in his hands and looked at the captain of the guard with sadness in his eyes.

"Greetings," the captain of the guard said with a nod of his head.

"Good morning," Rumplestiltskin said.

"I am sorry, Rumple, but we're…," the captain of the guard said as Rumplestiltskin held up his hand to stop him then moved closer and stood next to the white horse.

"Do you promise on your life that my son will be trained properly and will be kept safe?" he asked and the captain of the guard saw the concern in Rumplestiltskin's eyes.

"As long as he keeps away from battle hammers during training, yes, I promise," the captain of the guard said with a small smile and Rumplestiltskin smiled back. None of the other men knew why they were smiling as Rumplestiltskin headed back to the house and looked inside. Belle came out of the house followed by Baelfire and Baelfire had a bedroll strapped to his back and a sack of belongs in his left hand. The captain of the guard watched as Belle and Rumplestiltskin hugged their son then Baelfire walked to the white horse and looked up him.

"Give me your hand," the captain of the guard said as he held his hand out and Baelfire took his hand. Baelfire sat behind the captain of the guard as Belle handed Baelfire the sack and he sadly smiled down at her. Belle walked back to Rumplestiltskin when he placed his arm around her waist and held her to his side. They watched the horses head down the dirt road and Belle placed her face against his chest. Blinking the tears from his eyes, Rumplestiltskin turned as he led her into the house and the door closed behind them.

The meeting hall was crowded as Belle held the door open and Rumplestiltskin limped by her. She closed the door as the villagers talked in small groups or sat on the benches and one of the villagers stood up to allow Rumplestiltskin to sit down. Nodding, he placed the wooden staff against the bench while the other villagers sat down and the room became quiet. The villager elder came in the room when he walked to the table where the village council sat and he placed his hands on the table.

"It has come to my attention that more children have been taken," he said as he scanned the room and Rumplestiltskin felt his eyes on him. The village elder had voiced in many meetings that it seemed odd that Baelfire hadn't been taken and wondered if Rumplestiltskin thought himself exempt from having his child taken.

"Enough," Rumplestiltskin said as he slowly stood and held the wooden staff in his hands. He turned to look at the others when he sighed and pressed his lips together. "I know there have been rumors that my son hasn't been taken, but that is no longer true. The soldiers came this morning and took Bae."

"It's true," one of the villagers said as he stood up and looked at the others. "They came for my son this morning as well and I saw Baelfire sitting on one of the horses."

"So," the elder said as he looked at Rumplestiltskin and leered at him. "Rumplestiltskin, do you agree that we should go to the training camps and demand they give us our children back?"

"A part of me does," Rumplestiltskin said then sighed. "But another part knows that this is what the king demands and we must do what the king says."

"They are sending our children to slaughter!" the elder said then gave him a cold look. "Maybe the reason you are so willing to do the king's bidding is because you yourself were not brave enough to go into battle? Is that true, Coward?!"

Blood boiled in his chest as Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and wrapped his fingers tightly around the wooden staff.

"_If I could, I would show him who the true coward is,"_ a familiar voice growled inside his head and Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes.

"Do you…," Rumplestiltskin asked as he limped to the table and locked eyes with the village elder. "Do you want to know what true courage is? True courage is standing up after getting hit with a battle hammer you have been training with then go into your tent and not tell anyone how much pain you're in. True courage is hopping on one foot when all you want to do is scream. True courage is lying in bed while trying not scream until your voice is gone or wanting to kick out as a healer pushes and pulls on the broken bone in your leg until the bone is straight while your wife holds you."

"_I didn't know he was awake during that," _Belle thought.

"True courage….," Rumplestiltskin said while holding up a finger. "True courage is fighting off a fever and the pain which tries to consume you. True courage is getting out of bed with a lame leg then you have to relearn to walk and move on. So, let me ask you this. If what happened to me had happened to you, do you think you could have done that?!"

The village elder looked at him then sighed as Rumplestiltskin turned then limped back to the bench and sat down, placing the wooden staff against the bench.

"I am so sorry," Belle whispered as Rumplestiltskin slid his arm around her shoulders and she placed her head on his shoulder.

"What do you intend to do about our children?" one of the villagers asked and the village elder glared at them.

"I guess we have no choice," the village elder sighed. "We need to seek aide from…the Dark One."

Those words froze Rumplestiltskin's soul as he pressed his lips together and the villagers argued amongst themselves. Memories flooded his mind as Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and rubbed them with his finger and thumb.

"And how do you propose we do that?" one of the villagers asked.

"Yes, only a fool would go to his castle," another villager said and the others agreed with her.

""We will draw stones," the village elder said as a covered wooden bowl with a hole in the lid was brought in the room by one of his aides and the aide went around the room, holding the bowl out to the villagers. "There is only one black stone in the bowl. Whoever gets the black stone will go."

Rumplestiltskin watched as the aide moved by the benches then hand the bowl out when the aide came to him and held the bowl out. Belle had a white stone in her hand as Rumplestiltskin placed his hand in the bowl and felt there was only two stones left in the bowl. He cupped his hand over the stone then removed his hand and the aide walked back to the table. The aide placed his hand in the bowl then went to stand near the village elder and the village elder looked at them.

"Open your hands," the village elder said as they opened their hand, but Rumplestiltskin kept his hand closed. There were no gasps after they had opened their hands and he closed his eyes, silently praying that he was wrong. "Rumplestiltskin, open your hand."

"Only if someone tells me who has the black stone," Rumplestiltskin said, opening his eyes. No one said a word as he sighed and slowly moved his fingers. Belle gasped as he sighed and tossed the black stone into the air then caught it. "Guess I got my answer."

"No," Belle whispered as he grunted then stood up and took hold of the wooden staff. He limped toward the table when he slammed the black stone down and glared at the village elder. Rumplestiltskin leaned on the table until they were face to face and he wanted to smile at the fear in the village elder's eyes.

"If I find out that you set me up. I assure you that the Dark One isn't the only one you should be afraid of," Rumplestiltskin whispered and a small giggle escaped his lips. Straightening up, Rumplestiltskin turned around then held his hand out to Belle and she came to him. He handed the wooden staff to Belle then looked back and the village elder and titled his head to one side. "You do have a map to the Dark One's castle, don't you?"

Shaking, the village elder nodded then snapped his fingers and his aide brought Rumplestiltskin a rolled scroll. Taking the scroll, Rumplestiltskin slid his arm around Belle and they moved by the benches, leaving the meeting hall.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The bedroom was quiet as Belle listened to the quick and hard beating of her husband's heart and felt the long rise and fall of his chest. Rumplestiltskin looked at the shadows on the ceiling, but didn't notice her fingers moving across his stomach and stroking his side. His mind roared and his chest felt on fire as he thought about what had happened and he curled his fingers into fists.

"Don't go," she whispered and his heart shuttered in his chest.

"I have to," he said then kissed the top of her head.

"Why?" she asked as he looked at the shadows on the ceiling.

"They're expecting me to."

"But I can't lose you, too," she whispered and he felt the tears dripping onto his skin.

"You're not going to lose me," he said and stroked her hair.

"But the Dark One….," she said then stopped as he pressed two fingers to her lips and smiled while looking at her.

"I don't think he's all that powerful. In fact, I think he's a coward," he said with wide eyes and she frowned.

"He is?"

"Well," he said as wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled closer. "If you think about it, he doesn't do much, does he? He sits up in that castle and thinks he can lord over us and do his bidding. If he was that powerful, he would have ended the war a long time ago. No, he is just a coward and I'm going to tell him so to his face."

"But…"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she said and he smiled.

"Then we'll make a deal," he said and something giggled inside his head. "I promise that I will always come home to you, no matter what happens, and you promise to wait."

"I'll wait forever if I have to," she said and a small laugh echoed in his chest.

"I don't think I'll be gone that long," he teased then kissed the top of her head and she sighed. He felt her body relax as she drifted off to sleep and he softly prayed what he had told her was true. The idea of being parted from her forever made his heart and soul ache and he closed his eyes, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Graydon snorted as Belle helped Rumplestiltskin get into the saddle then placed the wooden staff in the strap on the saddle. He wasn't sure if he could get off the horse, but he couldn't see leaving her without the cart and she smiled sadly up at him.

"I will come home to you," he said as she nodded then he took the reins in his hands and used his left leg to gently kick the horse's side. Graydon moved as they went down the dirt road and Rumplestiltskin felt his heart sinking to his stomach.

The days melted together as he figured out how to get back in the saddle and would make camp whenever he or Graydon grew tired.

The rock trail spread before him as Rumplestiltskin held onto the reins and pulled the hood of his cloak lower to keep the sun out of his eyes. He wondered a few times if he was lost, but he had checked the map and corrected his course now and then.

The large mountains rose before him as he sat in the saddle and Graydon snorted, shaking its head. He knew his horse didn't want to go any further as Rumplestiltskin carefully got off the horse and slid the wooden staff out of the strap then held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"Go back to your mistress," he said softly, but Graydon didn't move and Rumplestiltskin looked at the horse. "I said go."

The horse just shook its head and snorted as Rumplestiltskin smiled and patted the horse's neck.

"Alright then," he said then walked the horse to a tree and tied the reins to a branch. Patting the horse's neck, he picked up the wooden staff and looked at the mountains. He didn't know how far he had to go as he took the bag with food and water in it and slid the leather strap over his shoulder. Sighing, he headed for the dirt road as the wooden staff thudded on the dry ground and he looked at the mountains, his heart thudding hard and fast in his chest.

He didn't know how long he had walked when he came to the iron bar gate with a stone bridge on the other side and he could just see a castle at the far end of the bridge. Slowly moving toward the bridge, Rumplestiltskin wrapped his fingers around the iron bar and pushed on the iron bar gate. A low groaned filled the air as he moved by the iron bar gate then stopped and the iron bar gate slammed closed behind him. Sighing, Rumplestiltskin moved forward as he looked straight ahead and held onto the wooden staff. The stone bridge seemed to stretch out before him as he frowned then stopped, pressing his lips together.

"That's odd," he said when he started moving, but the bridge kept stretching out in front of him and he started realizing that someone or thing didn't want him to get to the castle.

"_Close your eyes," _a familiar voice said and he frowned, closing his eyes. He kept going when he felt the wooden staff click on something and opened his eyes. The Dark Castle was so named for its dark stones and black roof towers and thick dark curtains were blocking the inside of the windows. He mentally counted the towers then went up the white marble stairs and stood in front of the door. He reached out his hand when he pushed on one of the large doors and the door made a low creaking sound.

Sighing, he headed inside to the main hallway as the large door closed behind him with a dull thud and he stood in the gloom and shadows. Suddenly the candles and torches lit the main hallway in a soft glow as he stood there and soft voices echoed in his ears. He recognized the voices as he headed for a wooden door then opened the door and he looked down the dark stairwell. The torches on the walls lit in a soft glow as he carefully moved down the stone steps then came to the bottom. He looked around when he walked to an iron door and his blood froze.

"No," he whispered as memories of Belle in the cell and they were fighting. He told her it was impossible to love him then told her to leave and he felt tears running down his face. He walked down the hallway when he came to a room with weapons, a wooden table and a leather apron hung on a hook in the wall. He remembered what happened in the room as he sighed and turned, walking down the hallway. He went back up the stone stairs when he stood in the main hallway again and looked at the stone staircase curving up to the second floor.

It took a while to arrive at the tower when he went up the stone steps and stood in front of the wooden door. He could hear Belle sobbing then saw him giving her a pillow to shut her up and he wondered why he was being so cruel to her. He loved Belle and would never make her cry on purpose. The wooden door opened as he went in the room and the candle on the table shone in a dim light in the room. He looked down at the pillow on the bed when he turned and left the room.

He searched the whole castle as memories flooded his mind and he stood in the main hallway, shaking and breathing hard through his nose. He didn't understand why the castle felt like home when he looked at the doors in front of him and knew that what was in there was the final piece of the puzzle. He headed for the doors when he opened the doors and his heart stilled in his chest.

"It can't be," he whispered while heading in the dining hall and the doors closed behind him. He limped to the long dining table and high back chairs when he placed his hand on the top of the high back chair at the head of the table and strummed his fingers. He could see Belle coming in the room with a tea tray in her hands and she placed the tea tray on the table. She was going to serve him tea in a china cup when the china cup slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. The china cup didn't shatter, but it did have a chip in it and she looked so scared.

Why was she so scared?

"It's just a cup," he whispered then blinked and looked at the podium. He headed for the podium when he saw the china cup sitting there and he picked the china cup up, rubbing his thumb over the chip. He placed the china cup back as he limped around the room and the wooden staff clicked on the marble flooring.

"What are you doing here?" a rough voice asked as Rumplestiltskin turned around and titled his head to one side.

Standing at the head of the dining table was a figure dressed in a long, black cape with the hood pulled up and almost over the figure's face, a black leather waist coat, a black leather vest, a black silk shirt, black leather gloves, tight black leather trousers and black leather boots.

"Are you the Dark One?" Rumplestiltskin asked, holding the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"Yes," the figure said as he walked along one side of the dining table and Rumplestiltskin pressed his lips together. "Who are you?"

"I am Rumplestiltskin," he said with a small bow and the figure balled his hands into fists.

"No," the figure whispered and Rumplestiltskin frowned.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"You are not supposed to be here," the figure shouted as he stormed closer and Rumplestiltskin slightly lowered his head and glared at him.

"Do you think I want to be here? I don't. The only reason I'm here is because we have no one else to turn to. We need you to end the war so we can get our children back."

"Why do you care?" the figure asked and Rumplestiltskin pouted, getting confused.

"I care because one of the children in my son!"

"So? You're better off without him," the figure said then turned and anger boiled inside Rumplestiltskin's chest.

"How dare you!" Rumplestiltskin shouted when he reached out and grabbed hold of the cape, pulling on the cape. The figure gasped when the cape came loose and fell to the floor. Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened when he saw the handle of a dagger sticking out of the figure's back and it was shimmering in a golden light. The figure slowly turned around when Rumplestiltskin looked at the figure's face and his father slowly smiled at him.

"Hello, Rumple," he said and Rumplestiltskin sank to his knees then sat on the marble floor.

"No, not you," he whispered as Malcolm reached down and helped him to his feet.

"Remember me, do you?" Malcolm asked as he handed Rumplestiltskin the wooden staff and Rumplestiltskin wrapped his fingers tightly around the wooden staff.

"Yes, how did you get here?"

"You brought me here."

"No, I wouldn't have done that."

"You wanted to start over, didn't you?" Malcolm asked and Rumplestiltskin blinked his eyes a few times. He felt like he had been hit in the gut when he realized that the voice he had heard offering him a chance to start over was Malcolm's voice and a cold chill moved through his soul.

"You made all this?"

"No, you did. I just supplied the magic."

"But all magic comes with a price."

"Yes, and the price was for you to not remember your old life and I was to make sure you didn't."

"But I do remember."

"You do?"

"Yes, I remember everything.

"Great," Malcolm sighed.

"Is that what that seer was going to do? She was going to tell me what was going on?"

"Yeah," Malcolm said. "That's why I had to kill her."

"What about that other woman, the one who attacked me?"

"Ah, now she was something I didn't count on. She was something that lived in the blackness."

"What did she want with me?"

"She thought you had power and wanted to control you. Don't worry. I got rid of her."

"Why?"

"Because I've gone through a lot of trouble these last eleven years and didn't want to…."

"You didn't want to lose your puppet?" Rumplestitlskin asked, the anger boiling deep inside him.

"Yeah," Malcolm said with a nod of his head.

"Well, don't expect me to thank you," Rumplestiltskin growled and glared at him. "Why can't I be rid of you?"

"You know you can never get rid of me," Malcolm said then a smile appeared on his face. "We're family."

"No, you made it perfectly clear you didn't want anything to do with me."

"Yeah, being stuck with you was burdensome. Wish you had died along with your mother," Malcolm said and a light flashed in Rumplestiltskin's eyes. "Getting mad, are we?"

"Get out!" Rumplestiltskin growled and Malcolm smiled.

"Why? This is my castle now."

"No, it's mine," Malcolm said and Rumplestiltskin growled, scrunching up his nose.

"Give it back," Rumplestiltskin whispered and Malcolm smiled.

"Now why would I do that?" Malcolm said as he stood back and Rumplestiltskin growled. His anger grew in his chest as he closed his eyes and his body started trembling. The memory of the last time they were together filled his head as he saw Malcolm as Peter Pan place the wrist band on his left wrist and what he did to defeat Malcolm. He also remembered the Dark One as a mischievous smile spread across his face and he opened his eyes. "What are you smiling at?"

"I'll make you a deal," Rumplestiltskin said and Malcolm gave him a confused look.

"What sort of deal?"

"You beat me in a fight and you can keep all the magic. I'll even go away and let you run everything."

"What if you win?"

"You give me the magic back and go where ever it is you're supposed to go."

"But what sort of a fight can we have? You have no magic."

"I know. Just as I know that I get deathly ill if I try to tap into it."

"That would be the band I put on your wrist," Malcolm said with a grin and Rumplesliltskin flicked his wrist as the sleeve moved back to show him the leather band on his left wrist.

"What you don't know, Pa-pa, is I had training in something else besides magic," Rumplestiltskin said and dropped the wooden staff to the floor and balanced on one foot.

"No, I am not going to get into a fist fight with you. You can barely stand," Malcom said with a laugh to his voice and Rumplestiltskin balled his hands into fists. Closing his eyes, he shook as he tapped into the magic and straightened his leg. "Hear now, stop that!"

"Now we're on the same…footing," Rumplstiltskin said then giggled. "So, Pa-pa, are you going to fight me or not?"

"If you want to fight fair…," Malcolm said and two swords appeared in his hands. Rumplestiltskin gave him a blank look when he took one of the swords then stepped back.

"I never fight fair," Rumplestiltskin said as he held the sword tightly in his hands and glared at him. With a roar, Malcolm charged at him and swung the sword. The swords smashed and clanged against each other as they fought and Malcolm growled when Rumplestiltskin jumped onto the dining table and kicked Malcolm in the face. Shaking the pain out of his head, Malcolm growled and Rumplestiltskin jumped off the dining table. They fought for what felt like hours when Rumplestiltskin smashed the end of the hilt of the sword into Malcolm's chest and Malcolm crashed into the spinning wheel. Both Malcolm and the spinning wheel fell to the floor as Rumplestiltskin stood over him with the sword pointed at Malcolm's chest and Malcolm smiled up at him.

"Can't kill me twice, Boy," Malcolm said with a grin.

"Let's find out," Rumplestiltskin growled and Malcolm held his hand up.

"No, you do that and all of this vanishes. Everything you've gone through these eleven years will be gone. Do you really want to lose your happy ending?"

"I'm not supposed to get a happy ending." Rumplestiltskin said as his hand started shaking and he clenched his teeth together.

Then I guess I win," Malcolm said with a smug look on his face then realized that he couldn't get up and frowned. "I'm stuck."

Rumplestiltskin carefully moved closer as he looked at the spinning wheel, which was lodged against the wall, and saw that the handle of the dagger was wedged in-between two of the spokes. He looked at Malcolm when he stepped over him and stood with his legs on either side of him.

"What are you doing?" Malcolm asked, but Rumplestiltskin didn't answer. He placed his arms under Malcolm's shoulders after he bent over then sighed and closed his eyes. Tapping into the magic once more, he pulled as Malcolm bellowed and the dagger ripped out of Malcolm's back. Blood dripped to the floor as Malcolm staggered to his knees then stood up and Rumplestiltskin looked at him with a blank look on his face. Suddenly a red swirling light appeared from behind Malcolm as Rumplestiltskin frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What are you looking at?" Malcolm asked.

"Turn around," Rumplestiltskin said and Malcolm slowly turned around. His eyes widened when shadow arms shot out of the red swirling light then pulled him in and the red swirling light vanished. "Now that was interesting."

Sighing, Rumplestiltskin got the dagger loose then slid the dagger into his belt when a blue swirling light appeared around him and he looked up.

"So is this," Rumplestiltskin said then looked down. He was wearing black shoes and socks, his favorite black suit with a black vest, black belt, matching shirt and pocket hankie and a blue tie with red swirls. He moved the sleeve back as he looked at the black leather band on his left wrist and balled his hand into a fist. Looking up at the swirling blue light, Rumplestiltskin stood his full height as he pressed his lips together and blinked his eyes a few times. "Right, you either lead to my final judgment, I don't know if it will be redemption or damnation, or you lead…home. If it is the first one, I will face judgment with my head held high and will ask for forgiveness. If it's the second…."

"_Shall we go find out which one it is?"_ a familiar voice asked. This voice was his own voice, the true voice of the Dark One, and a soft giggle echoed in his head.

"I'm not sure. If I stay then I'll never know where this leads. If I go then I break my deal with Belle."

"_I don't think you have a choice. It's like he said. Now that he's gone, that the magic is gone, this world will fade away like it never existed. So ask yourself, do you want to stay here and spend forever in darkness or do you want to go home?"_ the voice asked and Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes. Memories flashed before his eyes when he looked at the faces of the three people that meant everything to him then opened his eyes, looking up.

"I want to go home."

"_Then shall we get going?"_

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin said as the swirling blue light grew brighter then faded and he and the world he created were gone.


End file.
